


We'll Grow Up and Be Kids

by LadyKnightOfHollyrose



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Romance, iwatobi white day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-18
Updated: 2014-03-18
Packaged: 2018-01-16 05:44:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1334212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKnightOfHollyrose/pseuds/LadyKnightOfHollyrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Rin sees Gou’s eyes well up just as the conductor yells, “All aboard!” he can’t help but swoop in for a last quick squeeze. His mother sighs wistfully above him, running a fond hand through his hair before she pushes him away so that he can board the train.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We'll Grow Up and Be Kids

**Author's Note:**

  * For [isuilde](https://archiveofourown.org/users/isuilde/gifts).



> Written as part of **[Iwatobi White Day 2014](http://iwatobiwhiteday.dreamwidth.org)**

**FIRST YEAR**

When Rin sees Gou’s eyes well up just as the conductor yells, “All aboard!” he can’t help but swoop in for a last quick squeeze. His mother sighs wistfully above him, running a fond hand through his hair before she pushes him away so that he can board the train.

He stays there by the door, waving to his small family as the train pulls away from the platform and out of the station. It’s only when he can’t see any trace of the pair anymore that he lets his hand drop and wanders inside to find somewhere to sit.

Rin peers through the window of each compartment as he passes by, but by this time he finds that most are full of people; teens already deep in conversation as they catch up with each other after a summer of separation, or clusters of other first years stumbling through their introductions.

It takes almost ten minutes until he finds one with two boys about his age lounging inside, sharing a pack of Bertie Bott’s. There’s more than enough space to accommodate another body with ease. He taps the door once to be polite before sliding it open to peer in.

The boy on the left hand side doesn’t react, his gaze still steadily trained on the views outside as they fly by. His fairer haired companion looks up, eyes inquisitive but expression open and friendly.

Rin clears his throat, feeling a little like he’s intruding. “Mind if I join you?”

The only form of acknowledgement he receives from the first boy is a one armed shrug. It’s the other who shakes his head, shuffling closer to the window to make space on his bench for Rin as he beams up at him.

Rin settles next to him after pulling the door shut behind him. He’s then offered the box of jelly beans.

“Haru’s picked out all of the seafood flavours already, but everything else is free game.”

Rin wrinkles his nose at the thought of anyone going for them intentionally. Then he shrugs and picks one out for himself, giving not-Haru a grin in thanks.

He thinks he might have gotten off lightly since the colour of the bean is chocolaty brown…

No such luck. He almost spits it out again as the taste of compost floods his mouth. He’s tempted to, but the way that Haru’s watching him from the corner of his eye makes him soldier on, chewing on the sweet thoroughly before swallowing.

He catches Haru’s eye and smirks in challenge – naturally, it all goes downhill from there.

“Makoto, pass me the box.”

Makoto obliges with a look of fond exasperation. Haru ends up grimacing through a toe nail imbued bean, glaring defiantly at Rin he whole time. Makoto, miraculously, is able to enjoy his turn having picked candy floss.

It takes them three quarters of the trip to get through the entire box between their banter and joking; Rin’s jaw aches a little from the chewing by the time they’re finished. With the way Makoto had managed to pick one of the more pleasant flavours _every single time_ , Rin had at first suspected foul play. But when Makoto had let Rin pick the beans for his turn for him instead, he’d still somehow ended up with vanilla and pina colada.

So apparently he’s just _ridiculously lucky_. Rin hopes that they are sorted into the same house – even if Makoto doesn’t plan on joining the Quidditch team, he can cheer Rin on and donate that luck to a good cause.

The thought makes him pause for a moment as he pulls on his new robe. There’s no guarantee that he’ll be sorted into the same house as either of his new friends. But he likes to think that even if they aren’t, the three of them will still be able to cheer each other on.

**-**

Not for the first time, Makoto wishes for his surname to be further up in the alphabet.

There are only a handful of first years still waiting in line at the front of the hall to be sorted; the Hat had only needed a few short moments of deliberation to place which house would be accepting Haru, and it had seemed to place Rin fairly quickly too despite the faces Rin had been pulling at the time.

Makoto wrings his hands.

“Tachibana, Makoto.”

Makoto jerks to attention, just about managing not to stumble on his way to the stool upon which the hat is placed. He scratches the back of his neck self-consciously as he comes to a halt. Then he takes a deep breath, places the Sorting Hat onto his head, and takes a seat.

The hat is obviously one that was originally made for adults – Makoto resists the urge to rub the bridge of his nose where the rim rests, almost jumping at the sound of a considering hum at his ear.

“There’s more to you than meets the eye, isn’t there?”

Not knowing whether he’s supposed to respond to this or not, Makoto bites his lip.

“Yes, a bit of a dark horse even. There’s a lot of fear and uncertainty, but there is true courage in facing them anyway. I can see also that you have a strong sense of right and wrong. Ah but your loyalty is definitely also a defining trait, is it not? The protectiveness that comes with being a friend and a sibling, but insight enough to be flexible when there is a need… Perhaps…”

“Um.” Even the thoughts in his mind feel timid at this point. He isn’t sure if he is in any way qualified to be offering his own opinion on the matter, but Makoto pushes on regardless. “I’d like to stay with Haru, if possible. Um. Please?”

The hat is silent for a moment and Makoto tenses; has he offended it?

“In Gryffindor?” Makoto’s grip on the edge of his stool tightens in anticipation of what the hat will say. “Well, that _would_ have been the second choice in any case, but are you certain? You would positively _thrive_ in Hufflepuff.”

Makoto considers it seriously, his brows furrowing in thought. As wishy-washy as Haru often complains that he is, he knows that this is an important decision. He won’t forgive himself if he rushes into it without thought, and neither will Haru.

Makoto closes his eyes. When he opens them again, he has his response.

“I’m sure.”

“Very well then. GRYFFINDOR!”

With a last thought of gratitude, Makoto slides off the stool and takes the hat off. He catches Rin’s eye, and gives a small smile at the thumbs up his friend flashes at him from his place at Ravenclaw’s table. Then he blinks the lingering brightness from his eyes and carefully makes his way over to the table that all of the cheering is erupting from, letting the sound guide him.

He sinks down next to Haru on the bench, his legs feeling like jelly.

“You didn’t have to do that, you know.”

Haru looks stern, but Makoto can tell it is only out of concern and not annoyance like others might assume.

“I know,” he replies with a grin, watching as the remaining first years are sorted. “I did what I wanted in the end.”

Haru gives a small harrumph behind him, but says no more on the matter; apparently he is satisfied. As the headmaster urges them to start on the feast rapidly appearing on the tables before them, Makoto can’t help but echo that sentiment.

It’s the start to the rest of their lives after all, and for once Makoto doesn’t feel afraid.

**-**

Rin waits impatiently for the last course of dessert to vanish from the table, drumming his fingers on the dark wood of the bench as others polish off the last of their treats. His own selective sweet tooth means that he has nothing on his own plate left to occupy him as other students enjoy their supper.

There’s an amused puff of laughter from beside him, and Rin turns to glare at his friend.

Sousuke just grins at him. “Why don’t you just go over; it looks like they’re done eating anyway. Just make sure you don’t stay too long, we’ve got astronomy tonight.”

His internal debate of whether he should just wait is interrupted when Sousuke shoves his shoulder with a laugh. Rin swipes back half-heartedly before rolling his eyes and climbing to his feet.

He sees Makoto’s eyes light up in a smile as he spots Rin making his way towards Gryffindor’s table.

“So, how was it? You had your first flying lesson today, right?”

As Rin slides onto the bench next to Makoto, he catches the way Haru automatically sits up at the mention of flying. Rin smirks. “ _Best class ever_. Professor Sasabe had to step inside for a bit so Souske and I had a race around the grounds.”

“…And that didn’t get you into trouble..?”

“Oh, we get ten points docked from Ravenclaw,” Rin waves his hand, unconcerned, “but that wasn’t what I wanted to tell you about.” He leans forward. Makoto seems to mirror his body language, unconsciously moving closer. Even Haru seems intrigued, waiting for him to continue. “That third year from Hufflepuff; the tall one with the spikey red hair?”

“Hufflepuff’s new team captain.”

Rin barely resists rolling his eyes; of course Haru somehow knows about that all ready. Even though the rest of _Hufflepuff_ have only just found out. “Yeah. He saw us from the window while he was in class. Came up to us afterwards and said if we were in Hufflepuff we’d have been good enough to try out for the team and get selected. _Us first years!_ ”

“That’s amazing Rin!” Makoto’s all smiles and wonder, just as Rin knew he would be. Rin lets himself bask in his friend’s attention, puffing up a little in pride. Of course he already _knows_ he’s great on a broomstick, but it’s nice to be told so every now and again, all the same.

Haru doesn’t seem to share Makoto’s enthusiasm, though. He interrupts Rin’s (enthralling) retelling of his race with a flat, “But you’re not _in_ Hufflepuff.”

There’s a moment of silence, and then Makoto fills in the rest of Haru’s sentence for him like always. “…And there aren’t any free spots on Ravenclaw’s team this year.”

Rin deflates. He _knows_ this, of course he does. And he also knows that first years are hardly ever actually selected for the team.

He almost starts when Makoto places a hand on his shoulder; when he looks up from his lap, Makoto’s eyes are as gentle as ever. “ _Hey_ ,” he says, voice soft. “It’s okay. Just means that we’ll all try out for the teams at the same time, right? Wouldn’t want you to get a head start on us.”

That gets Rin’s attention.

“…I thought neither of you were interested in playing Quidditch..?”

 “You talk about it so much that we thought we should at least give playing a try?” Makoto has barely finished speaking, when he jumps slightly. Rin figures he’s been kicked under the table from the way Haru looks away, suddenly fascinated by the pattern of wood grain on the table. Makoto rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. “Okay, fine, _I_ got curious about trying to play. Haru just loves flying and this will give him a good excuse to practice more.”

Makoto winces as Haru kicks his shin again.

Not that Rin really cares who the idea belongs to by this point. He doesn’t even care about the odd looks he’s getting from other students as they catch the almost manic grin spreading across his face.

“Oh my god, next year is going to be _awesome!_ ”

**SECOND YEAR**

By the time Makoto and Haru leave the stadium, the sun has started to make its descent for the evening and the two of them are weary to their bones. Makoto would like nothing more than to return to his dorm to sleep the night away, homework be damned, but Haru nudges his shoulder to remind him of the detour they are to make.

As promised, Rin is waiting for them by the lake.

With two spots on their Quidditch team open by students leaving after their seventh year of schooling, Ravenclaw had held their trials the previous day. To the surprise of absolutely no one, Rin had managed to earn his place as seeker (though his sharp tongue had almost gotten him in trouble before he’d left the ground).

Today had been Gryffindor’s turn.

Rin paces up and down the bank, fidgeting restlessly and muttering to himself. Nagisa, a first year who has decided to grace them with his presence as often as he can manage, sits in the shade of the tree cheerfully baiting Rin into discussions the red head wouldn’t admit to finding interesting out loud. Still, the anticipation seems to be eating at Rin, and while it seems that Haru is perfectly happy to let him fret a little Makoto is a little more sympathetic to his plight.

Haru huffs as though to say ‘you always ruin my fun,’ before picking up his pace to match Makoto’s as they jog over to their friends.

Rin spots them, wheeling around to face them as they approach. “So, did you get in?”

Makoto thinks back to the trials; there had been more places open in the Gryffindor team, with several members having left the team this year. Haru had gone straight for the position of seeker, uninterested as he was in passing, scoring or defending. He’d soared through everyone, free as a bird and just as graceful.

Makoto had, apparently, been more of a surprise.

When the captain had offered him a bat, he’d shaken his head and donned the gloves of the keeper instead. He’d been nervous enough that morning to skip his breakfast, but taking his place before the goal hoops had felt like coming home in the oddest way.

“Well?!”

Haru snorts softly from beside him. Makoto gives a rueful smile; even if it is unintentional, Haru’s right. Makoto’s no better than he is, making Rin wait like this.

“We did it. We’re on the team!”

Nagisa lets out a huge whoop and springs to his feet ready to charge at them; Rin beats him to it, slinging an arm around each of their shoulders. “Don’t think I’m going to go easy on you guys,” he says, grinning brightly.

Haru’s brows rise up his forehead. “As if.”

(Neither of their teams win that year, with Hufflepuff taking the cup after soundly beating the lot of them. It only makes them even _more_ determined to win, however.)

**THIRD YEAR**

“Is he seriously still in there?” Rin peers through the window of _Spintwitches_ , and catches sight of Haru – he’s exactly where they left him an hour ago when Makoto had suggested they get to _Honeydukes_ before they lost the opportunity to get first pick on the various sweets there.

Haru had waved them off without taking his eyes from the various broomstick maintenance kits that lined the shop’s shelves. It seems as though he has now moved on to flipping avidly through a thick broomstick catalogue.

Rin shakes his head. There’s devotion to your sport, and then there’s _Haruka_.

Makoto leans over his shoulder to take a look for himself, but does not seem at all surprised. He taps once on the glass to catch Haru’s attention, before pointing down the road. Haru squints at them before giving them a short nod. Then he turns his gaze back to the book.

Their first stop is the post office; Makoto has boxes of sweets and other gifts to send home to his siblings. Rin has his own bag of requested goodies to take back to the castle for his sister, who had seen him off from the gates with a list of her favourites to pick up. Nagisa had attempted the same; when Rin had refused to take the long roll of parchment, he’d widened his eyes and let his lip wobble, appealing to Makoto’s soft heart instead. Makoto had grinned, recognising the tactic from having dealt with his twin siblings on countless occasions. He’d also accepted the list anyway, the very picture of an indulgent older brother.

Rin has to wonder whether the wide eyed, wobbly lip tactic is something specifically taught in Slytherin with the way Gou and Nagisa seem to use it at every available opportunity.

Or maybe it’s just a younger sibling thing.

Packages on the way to their destination, they move on to duck in to _Tomes & Scrolls_ so that Rin can attempt to find a copy of the obscure book Rei had mentioned to him last week.

Haru is still lost somewhere in _Spintwitches_ by the time Rin has made his purchase, so they grab a table and some butterbeers at the _Three Broomsticks_ , settling down to wait.

**-**

Makoto glances over his shoulder, frowning at how dark and empty the library seems to be at this hour. Not that any self-respecting teenager would call seven o’clock in the evening late. But the sound of wind howling past the windows and the stagnant air of the library while the rest of the school dine in the great hall makes him feel uneasy.

Rin, of course, seems utterly unconcerned. In fact, the only thing he seems to be aware of is his single-minded pursuit of knowledge.

His eyes glitter as he scans row after row of books, tilting his head back further and further as he dismisses shelf after shelf.

Finally, Rin’s gaze settles on a book on the very top shelf. Of _course_. Makoto sighs and stretches up, fingers catching on the spine enough to drag it out from its home.

He pulls the book down, handing it off to Rin who takes it from him and pages through it eagerly. Makoto sneaks another glance over to the rope that separate the restricted section of the library from the rest of the books. He shifts from one foot to the other – surely the librarian will walk in any moment now…

“Will you stay still?” Rin hisses from behind him. Makoto peers back to see his friend glare at him over the top of the book his nose is now buried in. Makoto’s sure he’s never seen the runes that decorate its cover before in his life, but the way Rin is scowling tells him that the content of it is clearly worthy of Rin’s attention. Which is now fixed squarely on Makoto. “Stop being such a distraction.”

Makoto would usually chuckle at his irritation. Not today, as his spine prickles with unease. “ _I_ don’t have permission to be here like you.” He casts a wary eye about the place and almost jumps out of his skin when he thinks he sees blood red eyes staring at him from between some books to his left. He sidles closer to Rin. “Maybe you should have asked Nagisa to come with you. He’s small enough to hide if anyone catches us, and braver to boot.”

Rin’s eyes narrow at him. “Yes, Nagisa would have been _perfect_ when I couldn’t reach that book on the top shelf. Any more bright ideas, Tachibana?”

Makoto shakes his head, resigned.

“Good. You’re getting tall enough to pass for a fifth or sixth year now anyway so I doubt anyone would think you to be out of place.” Rin turns back to his book. “Besides, I _didn’t_ ask Nagisa to come with me. I asked _you_.”

The thought warms Makoto all over, and for a while he is content to stay by Rin’s side, passing him books every now and again.

Until one of the books lets out the shadow of some horrifying beast that chases them out of the library at full tilt. Rin has to lead his terrified friend back to the Gryffindor common room’s entrance by the hand as Makoto vows never to go there again _ever_.

Rin coaxes him back there the following weekend.

**FOURTH YEAR**

“You’re acting like an idiot.”

Rin has been expecting something like this for a while now. He hadn’t realised how imminent this conversation was going to be this morning; he has managed to avoid both Makoto _and_ Haru for almost a week now. Haru has been glaring at him since class started and the fact that Arithmancy is the only subject that Haru and Makoto don’t take together, so he should really have been more prepared for an ambush.

Unfortunately for Rin, today’s lesson requires pairing up and Haru has not let the opportunity go to waste.

“No idea what you’re talking about.”

Haru kicks him under the table. “You’re _upsetting Makoto_.”

Rin may not be versed in Haruka’s unspoken words and expressions in the way that Makoto is, but from the way that the corner of Haru’s lips turn downwards Makoto’s not the only one feeling upset.

And it’s not like Rin’s doing it _intentionally_.

It’s just.

He had managed to avoid thinking about things too deeply when he was younger; because surely _everyone_ feels this way when Makoto listens to you as though you’re the most important person in his world. And, well, who _wouldn’t_ want to make him smile?

It’s a little harder to ignore when Rin starts to appreciate the way Makoto’s shoulders fill out his Qudditch uniform a little too much. When he starts trying to puzzle out the exact shade of his eyes… well. Rin knows he has a problem.

So he deals with it the way he usually does.

By avoiding it entirely.

(Which has obviously gone so well for him.)

Between Quidditch practice, homework and their differing schedules, it’s distressingly easy to avoid him. They have little time to linger between classes and it’s simple enough to slip away after meals with so many other students streaming from the hall.

Still, it’s the weekends that are the hardest; having to see the disappointment in Makoto’s eyes when he says he’s too busy to study together or hang out. Because there is no way that Makoto hasn’t noticed that Rin is avoiding him. Makoto may be too polite to say anything about it, but he’s _perceptive_. Especially when Rin wishes that he _wouldn’t_ be.

It’s tempting to ignore Haru, or fob him off with a denial. But Rin knows, realistically, that he probably wouldn’t have been able to last much longer anyway.

“I was just… figuring some stuff out. I’ll talk to him.”

Haru gives him a stern look, as though to say ‘see that you do.’ And then miraculously manages to escape the professor’s attention when Rin gets scolded for not paying attention.

**FIFTH YEAR**

Stepping out of the office, Makoto lets out the breath that has been trapped somewhere in his chest since he first saw the notice about careers advice pinned to the notice board in the Gryffindor common room last week. It’s a good thing his mother can’t see him now, he thinks wryly. She certainly wouldn’t be impressed with the way he’s been wringing the sleeves of his robe for the past half hour; he makes a mental note to see about getting it ironed out again to appease the well intentioned motherly scolding he can already hear in a corner of his mind.

He runs a hand through his hair, considering his options for what to do next. On the one hand, he still has half an hour of History of Magic left; Professor Binns probably won’t notice if he sneaks into the back of the classroom. On the other hand, he still has half an hour of _History of Magic_ left and Professor Binns probably won’t notice if he _doesn’t_ go to class.

It really isn’t a tough decision. _Especially_ when he takes into account the fact that he has recently fallen behind on his potions homework and that if the meeting he has just come from is any indication, he _really_ needs to pull his grades up.

With this in mind, Makoto makes for the library, taking a left at the end of the corridor and just barely remembering to come to a halt to check if the moving staircase is actually _there_ or not.

Surprisingly, it _is_.

Still, it’s a good thing that he _does_ stop to look for once. He doesn’t think that Rin would appreciate being tripped over.

“Rin? What are you doing here?” He blinks as Rin climbs to his feet, stretching out his back. “…Aren’t you meant to be in class?”

Rin raises a brow at him. “And aren’t you meant to be going back to class? History of Magic is _that_ way.”

Makoto gives a helpless laugh. “Touché.” He shakes his head. Neither of them should be skipping, really, but Makoto can’t pretend that he isn’t grateful for his friend’s presence.

They find a classroom which tends to be empty when not needed to host exams, spreading their books and parchment over a table so that any passing teachers will only think they are spending a free period studying – as they should be.

Eventually, Rin asks the question Makoto knows has been on the tip of his tongue since they met at the foot of the staircase.

“So… how did careers advice go?”

The question is tentative; as though Rin isn’t sure if he’s allowed to ask.

If _anyone_ has a right to ask, Makoto thinks, it is Rin.

Rin, who spent the last week going through fliers and pamphlets with Makoto as the latter stared at each with eyes glazed with muted panic. It had been Rin who had teased the subjects that Makoto enjoyed, and the occupations that he could see himself doing after graduating from him. It had been Rin’s firm, no nonsense scolding that had made Makoto believe that _maybe_ it didn’t matter so much that he _hadn’t_ had an idea for his future set out in his mind for years.

It can be difficult to be around people like Rin, who has always known what he wants from life; and Haru, who has never worried about what the future will bring, being quite happy to take things in stride as they occur…

Makoto’s eyes are soft, his smile warm. “It went well.” Rin seems to deflate beside him in relief. “As long as I buckle down and work hard to pull my grades up, she said there’s no reason why I won’t be able to be a mediwizard.”

“What did I tell you?”

Makoto chuckles. “She actually seemed to agree with you; seems to think my bedside manner would be reassuring.”

Rin snorts. “Of course I’m right. I’m _always_ right.”

Makoto hums, noncommittally. It makes Rin smack his arm lightly, but before he can take his hand back Makoto is grabbing it.

“Thank you for believing in me; it gave me the confidence to believe in _myself_.”

Rin’s cheeks pink and he tugs his hand out of Makoto’s grip. He shifts in his seat, eyes now trained on the desk instead of on Makoto as he mumbles. “Don’t be ridiculous, you would have been okay.” The rest of his sentence is too quiet for Makoto to catch.

“…Rin?”

The redhead growls under his breath, apparently losing what little patience he possesses. His head whips around so that he’s almost nose to nose with Makoto.

“I _said_ , you _idiot_ , that you’re the only one who ever had any doubts. Don’t let anyone make you believe you’re not amazing.”

Makoto has all of a second to feel completely bewildered before Rin closes the gap between their lips.

(Then Rin seems to regain his senses, his face rapidly colouring to match his hair as he jerks back. He probably has the intention of sprinting away in a panic, but Makoto doesn’t let him get that far. Instead, he reaches out to cup Rin’s jaw in a hand to draw him in again. He doesn’t get any protests after that.)

**SIXTH YEAR**

Makoto rubs his stinging eyes before starting to gather the stray bits of parchment and books that litter the desk as quietly as he can. Only moments before, the crabby librarian had scuttled over to banish them from the library; he supposes that they have been lucky to escape her notice for as long as they have.

It seems a shame to have to wake Rin now; the tightness that he seems to carry in his jaw while awake has relaxed somewhat, and from slight quirk of his lips and the fluttering of his lashes the dreams playing out behind his eyelids are pleasant.

Still, it’s not as though he has a choice in the matter. Sighing, Makoto slings his bag over his shoulder and gently brushes the hair that’s fallen over Rin’s forehead away from his eyes.

Rin’s only reaction is to scrunch up his nose. It’s absolutely adorable, but not exactly helpful.

“ _Rin_ ,” he hisses, prodding his arm, “wake up!”

Finally, one of his wine coloured eyes slit open to glare at Makoto. “ _What?_ ”

Briefly, Makoto thinks of being at home over the summer and having to carry his siblings up the stairs to bed after they’ve tired themselves out chasing (and then consuming) chocolate frogs. Rin has the same mulish look about him that Ran gets when she insists that _no_ she’ll _never_ be too old to be tucked in to bed by her brother.

It’s a little ironic, he thinks, that Makoto had been the one feeling exhausted when they had first entered the library so many hours ago; being Gryffindor’s Quidditch team’s captain was hard work. Haru had actually begged off early as Rin helped Makoto with his Ancient Runes; Makoto has a feeling that he’s _still_ soaking in the Prefect’s bathroom.

“Come on, we’re getting kicked out,” he says to Rin, trying to hoist his boyfriend out of his chair. Rin allows himself to be manhandled for once, one of his arms going around Makoto’s shoulder, though he’s not being particularly helpful. When Makoto mutters this under his breath, Rin remarks that he’s used up his helpfulness for the day via tutoring.

Makoto barely resists rolling his eyes.

They get three quarters of the way to Ravenclaw common room before Rin starts to sag again, dragging his feet. Makoto manages to cajole him along until they finally reach the fifth floor, when Rin seems to give up entirely.

Since there isn’t a _great_ distance left to travel, Makoto indulges him. His arms only protest a little as he hooks one under Rin’s knees, the other supporting his back. He makes a valiant effort not to get distracted when Rin starts to nuzzle sleepily at the side of his neck from where his head rests at Makoto’s collar bone.

He almost feels relief at the sight of the bronze eagle knocker that signals he has finally arrived at their destination.

Then he remembers their final hurdle.

The eagle opens its beak as they approach, before pausing to eye the two of them. A shiver runs down Makoto’s spine at the way its stare seems to see right through him.

“At night they come without being fetched. By day they are lost without being stolen. What are they?”

Rin mumbles something indistinct into Makoto’s robes.

It takes a couple of moments, but it seems as though the eagle has taken pity on them. “Uh… is the answer ‘stars’?”

The door swings open, and Makoto steps inside with the intention of dropping Rin off and making his own way back to the Gryffindor common room. Rin takes exception to this in his drowsy state, keeping a firm grip on Makoto’s robes when the latter tries to set him down on a lounger.

Too tired to protest, Makoto just sinks down beside him.

(He narrowly escapes getting into trouble the following morning when he sneaks out with Rei, who had risen particularly early to go to the owlery. Makoto resolves to do something nice for him soon.)

**SEVENTH YEAR**

“I can’t believe it’s all over.”

His voice is soft, coloured with disbelief and awe as he watches the castle that has essentially been his home away from home for the past seven years grow smaller and smaller. There’s something about being carried across the lake in the enchanted boats again that makes it all the more overwhelming.

He can still remember sailing towards Hogwarts for the first time, Haru poking fun at him in that subtle way he has at the way Rin’s jaw hung open. He remembers stumbling out of the boat, almost slipping on the damp bank back into the lake. He remembers Makoto grabbing him by the elbows and hauling him back upright, remembers walking through the gates for the first time, remembers that daunting wait and the heavy anticipation in his gut when putting on the Sorting Hat.

He’s finally graduated from school – an adult in the eyes of the wizarding world – but he can’t help but feel small and inexperienced as they draw further and further away from the last seven years of familiarity.

He feels an arm slip around his waist, and Rin lets himself be drawn into a half hug as his eyes start to sting.

“Well,” Makoto says against his hair, “you know what they say. Every end is a new beginning, right?”

Rin lets out a muffled grunt of indignation at that. “Oh my god, you _cheeseball_.”

Makoto shrugs unapologetically, jostling his head with the movement.

Haru seems mostly unaffected as well, which is just annoying. Especially the way he’s eyeing Rin warily from Makoto’s other side.

“…Are you going to start crying?”

“What? _No_.”

It doesn’t matter how emphatically he says it; the evidence is in the way his nose is starting to block up.

Makoto manages to stop him before he can start trying to mop up the damage with the sleeves of his robes (“Think of your poor mother, you’re not going to wash it are you?”) and Haru helpfully produces a handkerchief, hiding a smile.

“Crybaby.”

He’s used to Haru’s affectionate jibes by now. He gives Haru the finger, retorting, “Just be glad we’ve both been recruited for the same team or I’d-”

“Cry all over me?”

They continue to bicker, with Rin exclaiming, “It’s all Ai’s fault! He started being all sentimental at the feast!” in his own defence as Makoto and Haru tease him into a less melancholy mood.

By the time they meet the others on the platform of Hogsmeade Station he’s back to his charming self; it’s Makoto who seems to have withdrawn a little.

When the conductor gives the go ahead to start boarding, Haru looks back at the two of them with a knowing glance and leads the rest of their little group onto the train.

Makoto grabs Rin’s sleeve, tugging to catch his attention before he can follow.

He shifts his weight from one foot to the other, eyes fixed just over Rin’s shoulder.

“I, um, I didn’t get the chance to tell you before,” he starts, fiddling with the hem of his sleeve nervously, “I got the owl while we were packing and with the graduation ceremony and the feast-”

“ _What_ Makoto?”

Makoto’s behaviour is making _Rin_ feel nervous.

“I got that internship at St Mungo’s. Um.” He pauses, taking a deep breath. Rin wonders why he feels like he needs to steel himself for whatever’s next, because surely that’s great news? “I know you won’t always be in London, but. My mother knows someone there, who’d be willing to rent out an apartment to us. I mean. It’s okay if you’d rather no-”

It takes Gou and Nagisa’s combined efforts to pry them apart for long enough to get them to board the train after Rin launches himself at his boyfriend (Haru just watches the pair with amusement, saying that they’ll have to keep that kind of thing to _their_ room when they move to London – Rin just gives him the finger again).

The future seems daunting and uncertain, but they’ll be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> It’s been a really long time since I’ve read the books, so most of my reference material has been poking at the odd chapter of the relevant book and the internet ^^’ I didn’t get to include all of these, so if you’re wondering about the houses everyone ends up in:
> 
> Ravenclaw: Rin, Rei, Sousuke (muggleborn)
> 
> Slytherin: Nagisa (muggleborn), Gou
> 
> Hufflepuff: Seijuurou (half muggle), Nitori, Aki
> 
> Gryffindor: Makoto, Haru
> 
> The bit about seventh years leaving by the boats and Nagisa being in Slytherin even though he’s muggle born are little tidbits I’ve found through the internet (I think I read somewhere that the blood of Slytherin house becomes diluted after the Second Wizarding War, so that’s what I’m going off).
> 
> (I think there were other notes I was supposed to add but I can’t think of them at the moment and I should go to bed already ^^’ I still have some ideas that I didn’t get to use in this though, so I might revisit the AU again ^^)


End file.
